Jaguar Watching + Safari in the Nhecolândia Pantanal

DATES: JUNE 18-27, 2026 – JULY 09-18, 2026 | WHERE: STATE OF MATO GROSSO DO SUL – BRAZIL | 10 DAYS / 09 NIGHTS

WHAT TO EXPECT?

A 10-day, 9-night itinerary in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, where the largest portion of the Pantanal biome is located, the largest floodplain on the planet, known worldwide for its large concentration of wild animals and considered one of the best places for wildlife watching in the world.

We started our expedition in the city of São Paulo, at Guarulhos International Airport, from where we flew to the city of Campo Grande. From there we went overland to our first destination, the village of Passo do Lontra, located on the banks of the Miranda River, an ideal place for spotting jaguars during the dry season.

Our location is strategic, close to the Miranda River, an excellent place for jaguar watching, between the Rio Negro State Park and the Nhecolândia region, considered by many the most beautiful and emblematic region of the Pantanal.

The main focus of the tour is the observation of jaguars and wildlife in general, that is why we chose the months of June, July, August and September, at the end of the dry season, when the rivers and lagoons are practically dry and the animals concentrate on the riverbanks.

We’ll have two exclusive speedboats and three days to explore the region in search of images of jaguars and many other animals.

After the days dedicated to jaguar watching, we headed for the city of Corumbá, where we will explore the heart of the Southern Pantanal, in the sub-region known as Nhecolândia, which for many is considered the most beautiful in the biome. It’s that classic landscape that appears in most aerial images when we talk about the Pantanal, with an infinity of freshwater and brackish lagoons and bays, interspersed with natural grasslands and forest cover.

An itinerary that completely escapes the conventional tourist circuit, offered by the ranches in their traditional programs.

Our tour is specifically geared towards wildlife watching, which is why we will take long walks in the morning (before sunrise) and late afternoon, the best times to find the animals. The region is perfect for hiking, as it is flat and the vegetation is made up of many natural fields, which makes it easy to see the animals. During the evenings we’ll go night spotting with the Toyota Bandeirante, which lasts between 1 and 2 hours. During the tour we will use a powerful battery-operated flashlight to easily spot nocturnal animals such as alligators, owls, curiangos, wolverines, ocelots, maned wolves and, with a bit of luck, pumas and jaguars.

During the approximately 230km journey to the farm, we can observe a multitude of species, such as Capybaras, Alligators, Marsh Deer, Fallow Deer, Quati, Tatu, Tuiuiú, Tucano, Macaws, Hawks and various other species of birds. And of course we stop the vehicles to photograph and observe the animals calmly, as this is the main focus of our tour.

The time chosen for the tour is perfect for observing the fauna, as during the dry season the animals concentrate around the last watercourses. On the farm where we will be staying, for example, there is an artesian well that is visited at the end of the day by anteaters, deer, coatis and even pumas. It’s a very pleasant activity to sit on the veranda in the late afternoon and wait for the animals to find water.

The Pantanal’s fauna is one of the richest on the planet, both in variety and quantity, and its sparse vegetation makes it easy to observe all this wildlife. There are around 660 species of birds, 100 species of mammals, 160 species of reptiles, 40 species of amphibians, more than 260 species of fish and countless species of insects, including more than 1,000 different butterflies. It is one of the last refuges for a large number of mammals that were once abundant throughout South America, such as the jaguar, puma, ocelot, maned wolf, tapir, anteater, otter, capybara, deer and many others.

It is also known for having the largest population of reptiles on the planet. The last census estimated the population of caimans at 35 million, and you get sick of seeing so many caimans, as they are really very common in the Pantanal.

We would also like to emphasize that we cannot guarantee that we will see any species, but we will be in the right places with the best equipment to find as many species as possible. The timing is ideal, so we expect to find a large number of species during our expedition. And as for our main target, the jaguar, it would be irresponsible to guarantee with 100% certainty that we will find it, because nature is unpredictable, but at this time of year it is very bad luck not to find it.

MAPA DO ROTEIRO